A sports car manufacturing firm in south Norfolk is set to create more than 100 new jobs as it launches a new vehicle.

A sports car manufacturing firm in south Norfolk is set to create more than 100 new jobs as it launches a new vehicle.

Lotus, which has a factory based in Hethel, says the new jobs which will be in its Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering division, have come about with the launch of their new vehicle, the Lotus Evora.

A spokesman for Lotus said despite the global recession, they were currently increasing production output to cope with the demand for the Evora, the new 2+2 mid-engined sportscar, as well as the Elise and Exige cars.

They are expecting to take on 100 people in Lotus Cars and 50 for Lotus Engineering.

He said: “Lotus is recruiting a considerable number of new production and engineering staff to cover increased requirements both in vehicle production and its international high technology engineering consultancy business.

“Production in the 2009/10 financial year is planned with confidence to increase by 50pc over the previous year and the number of direct production staff will increase by 30pc during the same period.”

The company currently employs 329 people in the UK and 213 over seas in its engineering divisions, and 13 people overseas and 107 people in the UK for Lotus Cars.

Last year, from April 2007 - 2008 the company made just over £2m in profit and had a turnover of more than £108m.

The Lotus Evora is the first all-new car for Lotus in 14 years and is set to be sold in 41 countries worldwide, including the United States of America.

The company held a special celebration last year at its Hethel factory to mark its diamond anniversary and first unveiled the new car.